Betrayal
by Chaos Blitz
Summary: "He has a family." The energy pulsed through him. "And he left us for that... mutant." His pupils slowly faded back, as blue as the one he loathed. "He threw us away like a bad chilli dog... I'll kill him for that."
1. Chapter 1

Betrayed

Cobalt eyes watched groggily as the black boot held her down. Vicious yet sultry looking crystal eyes looked condescendingly down at her. "Stay down girl. You had no chance before and you have no chance now."

Tikal looked weakly on at the shrine wishing dearly that she had the combat skills of Shade or the power of Knuckles. She was disgusted at the blue hedgehog who slowly walked towards the Master Emerald. She could see that he could feel the power that it held.

She couldn't let him touch it. Lifting up a shaking hand to the emerald she started to mumble weakly. "The servers... are the seven chaos... Chaos is power power enriched by the hea-"

"Quit your babbling, freak." Fiona removed her boot from where it was lodged in the Echidna's stomach. "You lost. It's over."

Spitting up blood she fell half way unconscious, eyes half lidded, and groaning.

"You done with the bitch yet Fi?"

"A long time ago Scourge." She purred "I'm just playing around with her."

"Good," He smirked arrogantly. "Now watch this light show babe. It's gonna be a once in a lifetime event."

He channeled all his energy before placing his hand on the emerald. He released it all and the Master Emerald began to glow wildly.

He clenched his teeth in pain as the energy siphoned into him. His eyes eyes became bloodshot and his quills lost the usual blue hue. Energy pulsed through his veins in spasms.

His mind was the only thing running in the temporary shell that was his body.

Thinking.

Plotting.

He'd kill that blue bastard. No one would confuse him with goodie two shoes blue boy. It's happened too many times already.

He smirked viciously showing his fangs. Life flowed back into his body.

Heart pumping dangerously quickly and his fists clenched and new slick green fur covered him, a sign of the source of his power.

The Master Emerald dimmed slightly still pulsating and converting the energy it was given.

Letting out a loud roar of power he revelled at his new power.

"That's all? A fur change? What a waste of time!" Fiona scoffed.

"Oh trust me its more than just a fur change. I'm a brand new Scourge!"

"Still full of the same hot air I see." Scourge lowered his sunglasses glowering at her in revolt before letting out a malicious smirk.

"Seeing as how this job is done..." He snarled. Before summoning a green ball of energy in his hand. "I don't need to carry the dead weight anymore! Razor Wind!"

The supercharged attack engulfed Fiona and Tikal, finally knocking the echidna out and eliciting a loud shriek from the fox.

The wind slashed through Fiona's fur deep wounds littered her body as she fell to the ground, "Asshole," she whimpered before falling unconscious.

With a sneer Scourge placed a hand on the Emerald again. With a shout of "Chaos Control!" He was gone in a flash of green.

There was a hard knock on the door of the villa. Nicole went to answer the door as the boys where out with Knuckles and Rouge had gone to drag Blaze to the mall.

The knocking came again, harder this time. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" She made it to the door at the third knock. "How can I he-."

Her sentence was cut short by a hand around her neck.

She was lifted off the ground against the doorframe, her arms flailing.

"Sup gorgeous?" Scourge asked casually. "Word around Station Square is that Sonic lives here." His voice turned to a more intimidating tone. He pushed her further into the wall. "Where is he?"

He was surprised at the kick to the chin and was flung back quite a ways before he regained his balance. He watched as Nicole flipped and landed delicately before sliding into a stance.

"Pretty smooth for an amateur." He rubbed his slightly sore jaw before smirking at the lynx. "But you're in the big leagues now babe."

Nicole glared at him before speaking. "Please leave my house now. I do not want you anywhere near my children."

"Children huh?A little minx like you has kids? I didn't know the let sluts do that."

A snarl escaped Nicole's lips, a rare sound, but otherwise she remained silent. Scourge let out a chuckle before continuing. "Now if you'll just tell me where Sonic is I'll be leaving."

"My son is not here."

Glasses clattered on the floor. Scourge's jaw dropped before he keeled over in laughing, "You're Sonic's mom? I wonder how he'd feel if he found you out of commission."

He rushed at her at the end of the sentence and was surprised when she successfully dodged the kick.

He inwardly scowled at her competence. Before continuing his assault. If he couldn't break Sonic's body... A maniacal smile covered his face as he finally landed a blow. Her screams where music to his ears... He'd break him from the inside.

The first thing Sonic noticed when he got home with Knuckles and Tails was that the door was open and Nicole wasn't in the garden.

'She's probably went to get something inside.'

Tails seemed to read Sonic's mind. "Mommy must be inside."

Knuckles stuck his hand out in front of the group. "I hear something."

The wind blows but nothing happens.

Sonic spoke suddenly. "Knuckles take Tails with you and go to your island."

Knuckles nodded and carried Tails off. He ignored the cub's confused questions.

Sonic slowly walked into the house, something that Nicole always wanted him to do ironically.

The house was a mess. The coffee table was overturned, magazines were littered everywhere, couches looked like they were thrown to the different corners of the room, bookshelves were toppled over, picture frames where cracked, and Sonic noticed none of that.

He only noticed Nicole's hand sprawled out from under one of the couches. He hurdled over most of the room before power sliding to a stop by the couch, which he lifted with ease.

He pulled her out from under before pulling her close. "Nicole! Mom! What happened?"

She groggily opened her eyes. "Sonic it's a trap, get out."

"Wha-"

"You think I'd let him escape so easily?"

"Who said that?" Sonic stood up clutching Nicole protectively.

"Up here blue boy."

Sonic looked up towards the balcony ledge before jumping back to avoid an aerial kick from the green hedgehog.

"Who the heck are you?"

"You don't remember me, do you kid?"

"Why'd I want to remember a freak like you?" Sonic spat.

"Oh I'm gonna give you a reason to remember me for the rest of your life." Scourge cracked his knuckles and tossed his glasses at Sonic. "That isn't very long by the way."

Sonic watched the glasses drop to the ground before looking back at the hedgehog, mouth slightly open.

"Reality set in yet, blue?" Scourge smirked.

"Scourge? Is that really you?"

"Glad you finally recognise your brother." Scourge rushed at Sonic at surprising speeds that Sonic only just managed to dodge. "Too little too late though."

Sonic shot off out the door. Nicole had just about conked out in his arms. "Why are you tormenting my family?!"

"Family? You call this slut and the bastard mutant family?" Sonic's eyes shot open in rage but he couldn't risk fighting back with Nicole in his arms. He dodged a spin attack by swinging on a vine that led him over a wide ravine.

Scourge's footsteps fell into sync with his own as he recovered.

Jumping over a sweep kick, Sonic's mind ran in circles.

'What do I do? I can't fight him like this. I need to get Nicole to safety.'

"I'd call Tails and Nicole family over you guys any day!" Sonic blasted off towards Windy Valley where Tikal had left a warp ring to the island. "Go back to Westside where scum like you belong!"

Scourge snarled before shooting himself elbow first into Sonic's back. Unable to dodge, Sonic took the full force of the blow, stumbling before recovering in time to dodge another kick.

"If you don't drop the dead weight you'll never live kid." Sonic could hear the chuckle that followed. "Not like you had a chance to anyways."

Ignoring the taunt, Sonic trudged on easily ignoring the force of the approaching tornado but he could also hear Scourge catching up. Thinking quickly he jumped straight up, letting himself be at the mercy of the wind.

Looking up Scourge saw Sonic using the debris of the ripped landscape as launch pads to push him into the centre of the tornado.

"Clever little runt..." Scourge snarled, before continuing the chase. 'I have to get in close, the Razor Wind technique won't work here. Besides...' The green hedgehog smirked. 'I always preferred the hands on method.'

Panel jumping continued until the duo made it to the top of the tornado. Sonic landed on the floating land mass and blasted off down the connecting bridge. The warp ring was at the very bottom of the path so it was here that he really had to juice. Scourge landed soon after looking around before spotting a blue and brown blur flying down the track.

He kicked a brick hard in frustration. "I'm tired of this bullshit! I'm gonna serve that punk what's coming to him!" Sonic already had a lead on Scourge so he looked for a shortcut.

He ran thinking about his sister, brother, and mom. It only made him madder as he jumped from pillar to pillar, making ground on Sonic's lead. They were nobodies now. A bunch of no name losers with nothing going for them.

And it was all Sonic's fault.

"We were gonna throw some money that mutant bastards way... We were fucking loaded with cash!" He was catching up, the blur started to form back into hedgehog. "But instead of doing the smart thing. He had to be a fucking idiot!" Scourge's eyes were bloodshot in rage his new, untamed energy giving his body a light pulsating glow. He was getting faster, more vengeance hungry. "Running away, that's all the little bitch was good for. We lost our career all because of him and that damn gutter fox!"

They were both at the bottom now and Sonic could see the ring to angel island. He could also hear Scourge approaching. He jumped to dodge the incoming punch and kicked his ex-brother in the head. Scourge ate dirt from the unexpected attack and slammed a fist in the ground when he couldn't find Sonic. His scream of aggravation was heard for miles.

Sonic got thrown out of the ring right in front of the Emerald Shrine. Tails and Knuckles turned at his arrival and Tails wailed in despair at Nicole's condition.

"What happened to her Sonic?" Knuckles asked in shock.

Sonic went to put the injured lynx on a cot but was stopped when he saw the equally hurt Tikal on the bed. "Her too..." It wasn't a question, just a solemn observation.

"There's another one, a red fox. Most likely the cause of mom's…condition. We have her in an energy field." Knuckles informed, melancholy filled his voice. "Strange thing though, she's in just as bad a condition as mom."

Sonic suddenly slammed a fist against one of the stone pillars surrounding the shrine. "Dammit! I hate him!"

"Hate who?" Tails asked between ragged breaths. He was sitting beside both of the sleeping women.

Sonic's head dropped with a sigh. He sat down as the day's change of events caught up to him. "Scourge."

"Scourge?"

"My twin."

* * *

So this is the story that I promised. My friend Lordoftheghostking28 won my little contest and chose Scrouge.

Being that in my universe there's only one dimension this is the route I chose: Twins!

Congratulations to Lordoftheghostking28 and I hope you enjoy this story!

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

-Playback

There was general disbelief between Knuckles and Tails. "Your twin? Like brothers?" Knuckles asked, shocked.

"Yeah..." Sonic sighed his head still down. "I had a life before I met any of you guys you know. Nicole would know a bit more than you guys."

"But if he's your brother why does he want to hurt you? That's not right!" tears filled Tails' eyes as he asked the question.

"I'd have to tell the whole story so you guys could understand..." He saw Knuckles lean against a pillar focusing on him and Tails sitting down doing the same.

Sonic gave a weak chuckle. "I guess you guys really want to hear it." He sat down against the pillar he was on and started.

"Okay my life before you guys was... Much different. I was born in a family of four kids, two sets of twins. Me and Scourge were the younger pair. I had another brother named Manic and a sister named Sonia. We were a band, the Underground. We were okay for about two years people liked the music and came to all of our small concerts. My mom, Aleena wanted us to be bigger though she wanted us to be the best band we could. She was nice but stubborn, determined really.

"She put us in bigger venues we even got to headline a couple of bigger bands. People in the mainstream started to like us, and were focusing on me and Scourge. I played guitar, he played bass. We were so in sync on the stage and the crowd ate it up. That's when trouble started.

"My mom called a band meeting one day, she told us that we needed a front man for our band, a face. Me and Scourge were the obvious choices because the crowds loved our antics. But after a heated argument we decided that the name "Scourge Underground" or any variation of it didn't fit our music, so we changed to Sonic Underground.

"It wasn't long until Scourge faded to the background and the media began eating me up. Though I never did stay long enough to answer more than a few questions.

"I can feel Scourge getting jealous of me after that, I got all the praise and recognition we used to share. And sad to say I got more attention from mom. She loved us all, anyone could tell that, but she had to make sure I was okay at any given moment, it was little things, like getting an extra present at my birthday, getting a slightly newer this and a shinier that. She's the one who actually gave me Nicole, as ironic as that is." Sonic let out another weak chuckle and looked at the cot by the shrine. He spotted Shade, listening while she looked at her injured mother. 'When did she get back?'

"Scourge had enough of it. He got so mad that he punched me. Mom didn't take kindly to that and he was reprimanded pretty harshly. I was upset and sort of lost so I did what I always do. I ran. I wasn't gone for good but long enough for mom to call a search party. I did this periodically every time, we went to a different concert, I ran away for hours at a time. We were on Westside Island when I didn't come back alone. I'd found Tails curled up, in the back alleyway of some houses and I brought him home. Nicole and I agreed that we had enough money to take care of him, adopt him so to speak." Sonic saw Tails' ears droop and his eyes looked at the floor, he pulled him into a hug.

"My mom didn't agree. I don't know why and I don't want to understand. I was mad and angry and sad and confused... I just left. I took some money that I'd hidden away, found the Tornado in a junkyard and left that crappy island with Tails and Nicole.

"Last I know they still live there. That's the reason I hate the island so much and I guess since then Scourge has sworn vengeance or something. I haven't seen them since."

Knuckles looked away with a solemn look on his face. Tails was sniffling into Sonic as the blue hedgehog rubbed his back. Shade hadn't moved.

Sonic stood up bringing Tails with him.

"I don't want you guys getting in this, especially not you lil bro." He grabbed Tails' shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He gave Knuckles a look and said, "Watch him for me."

With a nod he took Tails from Sonic. "Get him one for me." Sonic smiled before heading to the warp ring. In a flash he was gone.

He returned to a nearly destroyed platform in windy valley. The ground no longer ripe with grass, the rocks torn from the ground. It looked like a wasteland.

In the centre of it was Scourge, still raging from Sonic's escape. Stepping out from the warp ring's hiding spot Sonic called out.

"I heard you were looking for a fight." Sonic deadpanned.

Scourge turned the scowl on his lips changing to a cocky grin. "So you had the balls to come back, eh?"

Sonic said nothing as he blasted off. Heading back to the Mystic Ruins. He flicked Scourge's nose as he sped past him. "You'll have to catch me first."

Angered, pissed off, surprised, annoyed, and blood thirsty. Those were Scourge's emotions.

He wasted no time chasing his twin.

"I'm not looking for a fight... I'm looking for a murder."

Blue and green blurs blasted through the valley. One anxious the other ravenous for revenge.

* * *

So the final showdown begins with a bit of backstory.

Who will win? Will Scourge's Emerald boosted powers give him the advantage? Will Sonic be Sonic again and just kick butt? Why didn't I do a flashback? I don't like flashbacks. Why am I asking you this?

Stay tuned for what might be the final part of this story, "A Family Matter."

I will never do this type of outro again.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

A Family Matter

Sonic gave no chance for Scourge to catch him, he took shortcuts that he'd discovered throughout his morning runs and with a little work, he'd lost him.

He was back in the Mystic Ruins long before Scourge. The green hedgehog was livid as he found his twin stretching, before he let a venomous smirk grace his face. "Decided to stop being such a pussy, eh? 'Bout time. For me that is, cuz now I have a open shot at your ugly fuc-ugh!"

He was caught off guard by the vicious elbow to his chin, followed by a straight across his face, a kick to his side and another kick to push him away.

"I'm through talking to you." Green eyes narrowed. All the rage he'd ever felt against his brother, his family, the whole of Westside Island, every single villain he'd faced thus far, was released the wind shimmered around him. "You'll regret ever touching my family!"

The green hedgehog slowly picked himself up wiping his sore jaw. As he stood to his full height, spitting out a bit of blood, "I'll kill you for ruining mine." A cobalt glare met the emerald one halfway, before their owners clashed fists.

Scrooge went for a high kick, a would be devastating blow if Sonic hadn't ducked. Sonic slid a foot around Scourge's grounded ankle, trying to trip him. Seeing this The emerald hedgehog leaped off of the one foot, before curling into a ball and launching himself at his twin.

Sonic gave a seemingly desperate leap to the side. Tucking into a ball as he landed he shot away from the jade hedgehog before a quick u-turn sent him ricocheting back at an alarming speed. Scourge was plowed by the quill covered ball and Sonic pushed him away with a kick before the blue hedgehog landed gracefully, the green one crashing into a mountain wall.

He landed on the ground with a soft thud, slowly but shockingly easily getting up from the blows that were dealt.

"I guess I can see why Aleena made me the face of the band, you just couldn't handle the hits."

Scourge chuckled maliciously. "She made you the face because she needed a doll, someone to dress up to keep a world of idiots pleased. You were nothing but an accessory, kid. A mean to an end."

"If I was an accessory what does that make you?"

Deciding not to answer, Scourge charged. Launching a devastating left hook at Sonic's face, before a powerful right jab was used as a feint. The real danger was the knee crashing into Sonic's gut, winding him. A backhand finished the combo pushing Sonic away. Two backflips after the push, Sonic pushed forward. A flash of light blue exploding around him.

"Light Speed Attack!"

Sonic disappeared, a blue streak taking his place.

Scourge's eyes widened in surprise as he felt the first blow across his chin. He was then hit with a blow to the back, an explosion of pain to the stomach, tripped off balance, finished with a hammer blow to the head. Sonic reapeared high above him, reaching out with an arm. Blue grabbed green before curling himself into a ball, using the force to whip Scourge into the ground.

Pushing his twin one last time, he broke out of his ball and pushed off of him, landing a good distance away, breathing slightly heavily.

Scourge lied still for a while, dazed, winded, and bruised, but still very much conscious. He picked himself up slowly, spitting up blood that had built up.

"Not bad kid." The jade brother, brushed the dirt off his jacket, kissing his teeth at a particularly stubborn bunch. "Not good, but not bad either."

There was a glint of mischief in Scourge's eyes as he made as though he was dashing towards Sonic. The blue hedgehog put his hands up to protect himself. He was surprised when all Scourge did was put his open palm in front of his brother's face.

"Razor Wind!"

Sonic's world slowed down As the words left his twin's mouth. He felt it happening, the slow build up the very air around bursting at the seams like a balloon filled with too much air. You watch it expand. You watch it get watch the balloon test it's limits, until it just...

Bursts.

That's what Sonic felt. The very air bursting. Exploding in his face, exploding around his body. He could feel it viciously slashing his body.

Cut after cut after cut laced him, his teeth clenched in pain. He wouldn't scream. He wouldn't give him the pleasure. He wouldn't scream. He wouldn't. He-

"Agh!"

He was pushed back, violently thrown into a wall. The winds still strong till their dying breath. Sonic took a huge gulp of air, his seemingly infinite lung capacity emptied from the wind barrage. His reprieve was taken away from him the oxygen the air that he desperately desired, ripped away by a knee to the stomach, pushing him deeper into the hard stone of the mountain.

Sonic coughed up blood, out of air to release. Scourge had an evil smirk on his face as he launched a blitz of punches and kicks at his twin, each one wedging him into the mountain.

Sonic let out a scream for each blow rained down on him. With his arms wedged into the mountain his struggle for freedom was futile., his powerful legs trapped in the same deadly predicament.

Scourge stopped his onslaught, taking a break to admire his enemy's broken form. The blue hedgehog's head hung, streams of blood running over his eyes, of which the left one was swollen shut. His arms and legs were numb from pain, most likely fractured in multiple places. He was a limp mess, nothing that his friends were used to, he'd never felt so weak and he was glad that his friends couldn't witness it. Green stepped close to blue, that smirk never leaving his face.

"That all you got blue boy? I was sure you'd put up more of a fight than that. You defeated that fat doctor, you're a hero," he spat out the last word. He began lightly, tauntingly patting the wounded hedgehog's cheek, before a darker look passed over his face. "You're. Supposed. To. Be. Better. Than. That!" every word punctuated by a hard slap.

Sonic was much too worn out to scream anymore, he let out barely audible grunts in response to the pain. Even so he still struggled to free his arm, just one, any limb, he refused to lose like this.

His bloodshot eyes snapped open with pain as he used most of his remaining strength to free. His right arm, throwing a pitiful punch at Scourge's face and freeing himself from the rock surface. The green hedgehog leaned back slightly and watched as Sonic fell before at the last moment, rocketing his arm forward into Sonic's stomach with a devastating uppercut, letting the black and blue blur fall afterwards.

"Pathetic! You knew I was out of your league, chump. And this hedgehog never takes prisoners," he whipped his arm up high above his head. An orb of the most violent winds formed in his hands. Sonic clenched his teeth at the ball as he tried to look up, only to have his face stomped into the ground. He swiped his hands wildly, trying to trip his oppressor, anything. Fighting until the very end.

"Give it up kid!" Scourge had to shout over the roar of the orb. "It's all over! Sayonara, Sonic!"

His hand clenched as he readied himself to throw down his attack, "Razor Wi-agh!" he was stopped by a powerful flying kick right to his face, the imprint of the black combat boot in his cheek.

Sonic looked up the boots of his saviour before smiling weakly, he offered a weak thumbs up to the terra-cotta echidna. She offered a soft familiar smile to her friend, her family.

"You told Knuckles to not let Tails get involved. You left no such order for myself."

"I'll remember that for next time," came the weakened witty reply, coughs littering the simple sentence.

"Rest, Wind Runner. I'll get you to the shrine as soon as I'm done with this pest."

Sonic nodded and let his body relax. His mind blocking out the pain of his battered body. His last sight before he let himself pass out was the beginning of the echidna's onslaught.

Shade ran forward, hands behind her as she made her way to her enemy. There was grace and power in her strides. The battle mask extended from her hairband, covering her long quills, her forehead and lastly, her face. Her large eyes seemingly transforming into glowing magenta slits.

She pulled her hand back and let loose a punch to the faltering hedgehog, only to have it just blocked by his shoulder. That however was just the first move of her dance. She gave the two of them distance with a backflip kick, landing squarely on his jaw, his daze allowed her to land and strike with a low punch to his stomach, followed by a right hook to his cheek, he was sent to the ground again.

He got up, bruised where the blows landed. "You stole my kill," he deadpanned. "Didn't anybody teach you not to get in the way of family matters?" Scourge charged at her, landing a glancing blow on her arm.

Shade shrugged off her pain and began to parry the remainder of his blows. A blow to her chest? Pushed away. A kick to her side? The leg was smacked back down to the ground.

Taking her opening Shade pushed her hand directly into his chest. pushing him back. She leaped after him delivering a spinning kick to his side, landing, she knocked his arm down and hit him directly into his side, she dropped and tripped him before doing a front flip and slamming him directly into the ground with a brutal leg drop.

Getting back to her feet she distanced them and took a calming breath.

"Sonic is my family. As are Tails and Nicole. Family isn't about who shares the same blood as you but it's those who you respect and love as brothers, sisters, parents. We're all one unit, one clan, one family. And we'll protect each other as long as we draw breath."

The suited echidna tapped a button on her wrist guards, a glowing pink energy spear appearing in each hand. "You can never battle a power that great."

Scourge was up by that point, seething. "Shut... up, you're nothing. Nothing to me!" He charged straight forward, dodging the spear Shade threw by quick stepping and making a sharp right to dodge the second one. He sped up becoming a chaotic blur of jade anger, he whipped around at super sonic speeds aiming violently at Shade.

For her part Shade was doing wonderfully, dodging, ducking, weaving around the whirlwind that was Scourge. 'The exact opposite of Sonic,' she bent backwards to dodge a flying kick before flipping to evade a sweeping one. Her senses were on full alert, training with Sonic doing this very same thing was a godsend in this situation.

Seeing Scourge aiming a punch for her face, she raised her arm and deflected it, beginning a give and take of blows at high speeds, Shade taking the defensive as Scourge let loose a plethora of brutal combos that would have left a lesser female with bruises beyond comprehension.

Not Shade though, whatever she couldn't dodge she parried, all while hopping back to keep with Scourge's speed. Scourge delivered a punch to her face, and she leaned back, his fist right above her nose. She dropped her body downwards, her hands holding her weight and pushing her legs up for a direct blow into his exposed stomach.

Scourge lurched forward, coughing blood as he gripped his stomach from the pain. Shade did two flares from the ground, her body spinning on her upper back. The first rotation tripping him, the second kicking him in the side of the head and the third to pop up.

Scourge tried to lift his head painfully, stopping suddenly when the pink energy spear landed not an inch from his nose.

It slowly disintegrated, pink energy flowing into the sky in front of his eyes. "Stay down, vengeful one. It's futile to fight me any longer." Shade's mask shrunk again, her long quills becoming visible and her low cold eyes glaring at him. "This game is over." She aimed her outstretched arm at Scourge, tapping a button, and releasing a ray of golden, ring shaped light.

Scourge disappeared with a grimace and a curse.

Shade let out a breath she always had after a fight. Making her way to Sonic, awake and attempting to stand. He was currently on one knee and that seemed to be strenuous for him.

"I thought I told you to rest, Wind Runner," there was a smile in her words as her body suit seemingly evaporated into a more casual, albeit bulky, vest and cargo pants.

Sonic looked at the battles victor with a smirk. "When have I ever been one to listen?" he hid a grimace as he faltered. Shade was there though, lifting him to his feet by snaking her arm around her shoulder. "Thanks. I owe you one."

Shade opened up another warp ring, directly in front of them. "Hmm. How many is that now?"

"A heck of a lot." Sonic chuckled as they hobbled through the ring.

Sonic was almost immediately helped onto a bed as soon as he stepped onto the location of the Master Emerald's shrine. Tails refused to leave his side for anything, Knuckles and Shade switching between guard duty and watching over the injured.

* * *

It was late at night when Sonic was the only one up. He looked up at the open sky, stroking the head of the fox cub, his brother, beside him. He watched as Knuckles as he slept in the cot beside the two matriarchs of the group.

He shared a nod with Shade and waved at Rouge, who'd arrived as he rested. The two halted their conversation as they waved back.

He let out a small smile as he looked back at the moon.

"One heck of a family I've got," he chuckled, "Wouldn't trade it for the world.

* * *

So I say I'm back and then don't upload for a month. My excuse, Summer School and Baseball and Fairy Tail. They take up a lot of my time and most days I only have that small two hour period to pump out something, and that's usually for homework. But this story is now done so that's progress, right? Hope you guys enjoyed this even though it should've been done a long time ago. I'll try harder to get things out quicker.

As always, Thanks for reading!


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